In Emmen, the Kollectief Foundation opens a new store that brings together sustainability and helping people: the Pre-owned Fashion Store. In collaboration with thrift store Het Goed, they sell second -hand clothing, but with a story. The store is not only a place for fashion, but also for awareness about textile waste and the power of reuse.
Kollectief Foundation, founded by Maartje van Wagensveld, helps women with a migration background through work experience and guidance. The foundation has a textile workshop where women transform old fabrics into new products. “We believe in reusing materials. Throwing away is a shame,” says Van Wagensveld. When the municipality of Emmen offered an empty building on Mondriaanplein, they saw opportunities.
The collaboration with thrift store Het Goed was the perfect addition. The well collects large amounts of textiles, but their racks are often full. “Together we can give the surplus of clothing a new life,” Van Wagensveld explains.
What the Kollectief Foundation and the good are in common is that they both play a social role. Where Stichting Kollectief guides women to work and independence, it offers good work and learning trajectories for people who want to find their place in the labor market.
In the store, customers not only get the chance to buy clothing, but they also learn how to repair or upcycles, thanks to the workshops that the Kollectief Foundation offers. “Do you have a hole in your pants? Or a dress that is just not comfortable? We will teach you how to repair or pimp it,” says Van Wagensveld.
The store is not a normal second -hand store. Van Wagensveld: “We want to make sustainability attractive. That is why we call it one Pre-owned Fashion Store And we give the clothing a fresh image. “There will be an education wall that informs customers about the impact of textile waste and what they can do themselves to tackle the problem.
For the women who work at Stichting Kollectief, the store offers a safe environment to gain work experience. “They learn more about customer contact, presenting clothing and gaining confidence,” says Van Wagensveld. “The collaboration with Het Goed also offers valuable experience, because they naturally know everything about determining prices to style the shop windows.”
The store will open its doors on 10 April. The coming year will be used as a pilot, but if all goes well, the Kollectief Foundation hopes to continue the store next year at a different location.